Help- Please share what you know about this POST-OP situation for them!!

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chemosmoker
chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
edited October 2011 in Esophageal Cancer #1
Has anyone who has had surgery to remove cancer from their esophagus, and then AFTER surgery has returned home and supposedly started mending, but INSTEAD started having stomach SPASMS that seem unexplained by their nurses and doctors?

This question was posted to the board and I have yet to see anyone sharing that they had these, know what they are, or what to expect or ask for.
"My father was released from the hospital 7 days after surgery. Seemed to be doing well in the hospital. Last two night have been horrible for him. He is experiencing lots of spasms and has more pain than he seemed to have in the hospital."
Should we go back to the hospital? Is he the VERY FIRST person EVER with EC to experience these types of spasm of the stomach?

ANY advice or experiences shared would be helpful for pam716, as I cannot speak to this but hate to see this need go unanswered. Someone please help or offer advice. No worse feeling than feeling alone with something this debilitating, like the hour of sleep at most since surgery, and unexplained spasms and no one else seems to relate?

Help out. I am asking for them now.

-Eric

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  • Bobs1wife
    Bobs1wife Member Posts: 150
    #2
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    Spasms after surgery
    My husband experienced spasms quite a bit following surgery. He is now 14 months out and still has them but not very often. I don't have any answers to why it happens, or why it goes away, but his did get much better with time. Most seem to think it has something to do with the vagus (sp) nerve and the way it is handled during surgery. I hope things are improving. It is slow, but progress can be in baby steps, and it's still progress! I wish you the BEST! (I had to have at least one capitalization for Eric who reposted for you!) Eric, love your posts, you brighten my day! Linda
  • hobbssy
    hobbssy Member Posts: 16
    #3
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    Bobs1wife said:

    Spasms after surgery
    My husband experienced spasms quite a bit following surgery. He is now 14 months out and still has them but not very often. I don't have any answers to why it happens, or why it goes away, but his did get much better with time. Most seem to think it has something to do with the vagus (sp) nerve and the way it is handled during surgery. I hope things are improving. It is slow, but progress can be in baby steps, and it's still progress! I wish you the BEST! (I had to have at least one capitalization for Eric who reposted for you!) Eric, love your posts, you brighten my day! Linda

    Spasms
    I don't know if you would call it spasms, but Jim had a significant increase in pain post-op as well as nausea. He ended up in the emergency dept. twice on the weekend after discharge from surgery. They doubled his pain meds and ordered ativan and that seemed to help tremendously. He wasn't getting enough pain meds. The surgeon said the nausea was related to removal of the vagus nerve and that it would take 8 months to go away. He would be doubled over with pain and we attributed it to over-eating and sugar. Just a guess. After he increased his pain medication, we noticed a big improvement in his overall well-being. Maybe you need his pain meds adjusted. Hope this helps some, Patti

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